I love the drums and have become obsessed with girl drummers. Not so long ago they were all but a rarity, or just a novelty act associated with an all girl band. It seemed that being a drummer was strictly part of the macho boys club. While female singers and guitarists have earned respect, female drummers still struggle to be taken seriously (think Meg White). And if they do get credit, it’s in that ‘not bad for a girl’ kind of way.

But more and more I see girl drummers turning up in new, up and coming indie bands. They’re not just a novelty act anymore. And I love it! So much so that I’ve been compiling a list of these hot young ladies to be featured in this trendspotting series: Girl Drummers.

Note: my intent with this series is to uncover the new, fresh talent. Not to shortchange the pantheon of fabulous and established female drummers out there – like Sheila E., Samantha Maloney (Hole), Cindy Blackman (drummer for Lenny Kravitz), Tobi Vail (Bikini Kill) or even Karen Carpenter (yes, she was a drummer!) – but I’m going to stay away from the history lesson and fast forward to now.

Meet Alice Talon (on the left) of LA-based Eagle and Talon, a post-punk girl band whose stripped-down minimalist rock “makes you wonder whether you’re being pet by a kitten or mauled by a lynx.” They’re primarily a guitar and drums-based affair and from some of the video footage I’ve seen, this girl can play drums. Alice is a classically trained pianist who started drumming when she went to Taiwan to discover her roots and subsequently spent many an afternoon drumming in the basements of Taipei.

Now that’s service with a smile! Meet my soy latte macchiato I drink every morning from Peet’s Coffee. It’s the only coffee I’ll drink. This and Blue Bottle. A latte macchiato is a secret menu item you can order at pretty much any Peet’s Coffee in San Francisco. Outside of Peet’s and our snobby food town this drink doesn’t fly so well. I tried to get the guy at Blue Bottle to make this for me and we practically got into a fist fight.

Sacrilege or not, they key to this drink is less milk, more foam and a shorter shot of espresso poured on top. The perfect balance of flavors and the soy milk makes it a little sweet and nutty so you don’t need to add any sugar. Try it!

Listen to Fruit Bats ‘A Little Acorn’. After a long hiatus, they are back and playing San Francisco’s Bottom of the Hill this Friday, 1/30 with Sera Cahoone. A show that I’m very much looking forward to. For the rest of the world, they will be performing live as part of KEXP’s Broadcast from the Bay tomorrow at 1PM PST.

For butchering the Jeff Buckley classic, ‘Last Goodbye’. No, no, no, no! Just stop it already. That’s enough. I held my tongue with the Tom Waits tribute album last year, but it’s gone too far with this one. Just because you performed with The Jesus and Mary Chain at Coachella a couple of years ago and can hold a tune does not give free license to cover any rock icon you please. Clearly you are the muse to many in both the film and music industry – The Jesus and Marychain, TV on the Radio, Woody Allen. Come on, they’re just a bunch of dirty old men who just want to see your tits! Argh.

There’s been a bounty of newgaze music making its way to my mailbox lately and I have no complaints with this one in particular. A Shoreline Dream is a Denver-based quartet who have been described by fans as ‘Melodipsych Rockers’. Their forthcoming release Recollections of Memory is set to drop on February 10 and features a fantastic collaboration with the talented Ulrich Schnauss, who is also a huge fan of the band.

Masterfully produced, the album itself is a sonic journey from start to finish. And one that demands to be listened to in its entirety. There will be no fast forwarding of tracks, mind you. You will sit down, put on your headphones and let the ambient, hypnotic soundscape wash over you.

Considering frontman Ryan Policky put his life up for ransom to produce this album independently and ensure everything about the band – it’s sound, vision and integrity – was kept in tack, it deserves nothing less than your full attention.